A small plane and a helicopter from Liberty Harbor Sightseeing Tours crashed into each other in mid-air today, falling into the Hudson River just off Manhattan’s Pier 40. Three fatalities have been confirmed – two adults and one child – with another six presumed dead in a CNN.
The two adults were passengers in the helicopter, which was carrying five Italian tourists and the pilot. The child is believed to have been a passenger on the plane, which had two other people aboard.
The accident occurred just before noon. The white Piper Saratoga PA-32’s right wing struck the rear rotor of the Liberty Harbor Europcopter AS350. Searches conducted throughout the afternoon yielded the three bodies by evening, with divers continuing to search for the other passengers and wreckage from the two aircraft. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said the crash was “not survivable.”
The helicopter has been located, but the plane has not yet been found. The recovery effort was concluded at 6:30 PM and is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning.
An estimated 10 people were hospitalized when a Bangkok Airways flight landed in rainy conditions, skidded off the runway and crashed into the air traffic control tower. The pilot was killed in the accident, which occurred at Samui airport in Thailand. Sixty-eight passengers were aboard the ATR72 twin-turboprop plane — like the one in the image to the right — along with two pilots and two crew members. Four foreign tourists – two British, two Dutch – were among the injured.
The air traffic control tower hit in the crash was not in use, according to a report by MSNBC. Nonetheless, Samui airport was closed, with at least one Thai Airways flight canceled.
UPDATE: Only seven people were hospitalized as a result of this accident, one of whom is the co-pilot. Other than the unfortunate death of the pilot (Chartchai Pansuwan), the most severe injury was broken legs.
Though the airline is not speculating on the cause of the crash, they say wind and rain may have played a part, and that the pilot had 19 years of experience. See the video below for some footage of the incident.
UPDATE 2: According to one of the passengers, Mirella Gastaldi, upon landing, the plane “was going too fast, it was not normal, it didn’t brake. It was going too fast and a bit to the side. It all happened so fast, I realized we had crashed because I had two seats on top of me.“
Imagine spending 20 hours crammed onto a ferry with almost 1,000 strangers. This is exactly what happened this weekend when strong winds forced a ship going from Orán, Algeria to Alicante, Spain to crash into the dock. Those on board were able to get off, and the next wave climbed aboard … where they would wait for almost a full day.
On Saturday night – after boarding Friday night – some of the passengers were permitted to step off the boat for a while, before trying again. Only around 40 people did so. Traffic in the other direction was a nightmare, though. Close to 120 cars showed up for the Saturday night ferry, only to find it canceled.
Given that this was a ferry, there were no reports of time being passed via shuffle board and low-rent lounge acts. There did not appear to be a buffet, and if there was a Captain’s table, it probably had folding legs.
It looks like the Alicante-Orán service could be working again on Monday.
Would airbags on planes jack up your ticket prices? It doesn’t seem that way, according to MSNBC. The maintenance of safety equipment does cost money – there’s no question about it – but, as in many industries, costs really don’t drive pricing. Customer demand and market forces play the greatest roles, along with the cost of fuel (really the only major cost that impacts fares).
This is why airlines are always in a rush to cut jobs and amenities when they are forced to lower their prices. With fuel the only major cost that affects pricing and competitive pressures generally squeezing margins, the only lever they have to pull is to lower expenses that they can control.
By October 27, 2009, all new commercial planes will have to come equipped with airbags, as the seats will have to be able to withstand a force 16 times that of gravity. Now, these devices won’t show up magically – there are no elves poised to run into the factory the night of October 26 and surprise the manufacturers and airlines the next morning. And, AmSafe, which makes the airbags, isn’t likely to give them away for the greater good. Instead, they are forced to charge $1,250 a pop.
The money’s going to have to come from somewhere. This is a difficult thought for an industry that can’t seem to find a profit anywhere. The airlines will have to dig into their own lint-filled pockets, since, as you saw above, the customers can’t be expected to pay for safety (after all, safety isn’t like peanuts).
But, let’s be realistic. How nasty an expense is this? Over 20 flights, it results in an incremental cost of $62.50 per seat. Over 40 flights, it’s half that. The big number – when you add up all those airbags – can seem menacing, but on a per seat basis, it’s a bit more manageable. Of course, there’s maintenance on top of this: they have to be checked once a year and replaced after 14. It’s manageable. Unfortunately, it’s just another expense for an airline that can’t handle any more.
The good news? You’ll be protected by an airbag and won’t have to pay for it with higher fares.
Since you can’t talk about airbags without showing some crash test fun … remember this commercial? Crash test porn at its finest.
One monorail crashed into the back of another at Walt Disney World early this morning, killing one driver and shaking up a family of six. According to the park’s statement, “Today we mourn the loss of our fellow cast member. Our hearts go out to his family and to those who have lost a friend and co-worker.”
The monorail, according to a report by CNN, was shut down, as the park works with law enforcement to figure out just what happens … and what comes next.